Methods and systems for manufacturing pillar structures on semiconductor devices

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a conductive substrate having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a passivation material covering a portion of the first surface can include applying a seed layer of conductive material to the first surface of the conductive substrate and to the passivation material, the seed layer having a first face opposite the conductive substrate. The method can include forming a plurality of pillars comprising layers of first and second materials. The method can include etching the seed layer to undercut the seed layer between the conductive substrate and the first material of at least one of the pillars. In some embodiments, a cross-sectional area of the seed layer in contact with the passivation material between the first material and the conductive substrate is less than the cross-sectional area of the second material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology generally relates to semiconductor devices, andin some embodiments more particularly to mechanical pillar structuresfor die-to-die, die-to-substrate, and/or package-to-packageinterconnects.

BACKGROUND

Microelectronic devices, such as memory devices, microprocessors, andlight emitting diodes, typically include one or more semiconductor diemounted to a substrate. Semiconductor die can include functionalfeatures, such as memory cells, processor circuits, and interconnectingcircuitry. Semiconductor die also typically include bond pads and pillarstructures electrically coupled to the functional features. The bondpads can be electrically coupled to pins or other types of terminals forconnecting the semiconductor die to busses, circuits, or otherassemblies.

In addition to pillar structures coupled to functional features (e.g.,live pillars), semiconductor die can include pillar structures whichprovide mechanical support to the semiconductor package withoutelectrically coupling to functional features. These mechanical pillars,while not providing electrical connection to functional features of thesemiconductor die, can provide mechanical support, thermal transfer, andvarious other functional and structural benefits. Mechanical failure ofconventional mechanical pillars, however, can cause damage to importantcomponents (e.g., functional features, live circuitry, etc.) of asemiconductor device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present technology can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on illustratingclearly the principles of the present technology.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device showing asubstrate, a passivation material, and a seed layer in accordance withthe present technology.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device of FIG. 1having a mask structure formed on the seed layer and a first materialdeposited in the through holes of the mask structure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 2 with a secondmaterial added to the through holes of the mask structure.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 3 with the maskstructure removed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 4 wherein theseed layer is etched.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 5 wherein asemiconductor is shown in phantom connected to the pillars of theassembly of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a closeup cross-sectional view of a mechanical pillaraccording to the present technology that has failed due to an appliedstress.

FIG. 8 is a closeup cross-sectional view of a prior art mechanicalpillar that has failed due to an applied stress.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a system that incorporates asemiconductor device in accordance with an embodiment of the presenttechnology.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for forming pillars on asemiconductor device.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a semiconductor device system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Specific details of several embodiments of semiconductor devices havingmechanical pillars without an electrical function (e.g., “dummy”pillars) and live pillars with an electrical function and associatedsystems and methods, are described below. The term “semiconductordevice” generally refers to a solid-state device that includes one ormore semiconductor materials. Examples of semiconductor devices includelogic devices, memory devices, microprocessors, and diodes among others.Furthermore, the term “semiconductor device” can refer to a finisheddevice or to an assembly or other structure at various stages ofprocessing before becoming a finished device. Depending upon the contextin which it is used, the term “substrate” can refer to a wafer-levelsubstrate or to a singulated, die-level substrate. A person havingordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that suitable steps ofthe methods described herein can be performed at the wafer level or atthe die level. Furthermore, unless the context indicates otherwise,structures disclosed herein can be formed using conventionalsemiconductor-manufacturing techniques. Materials can be deposited, forexample, using chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition,atomic layer deposition, spin coating, and/or other suitable techniques.Similarly, materials can be removed, for example, using plasma etching,wet etching, chemical-mechanical planarization, or other suitabletechniques.

Many embodiments of the present technology are described below in thecontext of pillar structures that are coupled to substrates andpassivation materials of a semiconductor device. A person havingordinary skill in the relevant art will also understand that the presenttechnology may have embodiments for forming pillar structures on eitherthe first side or the second side of a substrate assembly, and thepillar structures may be used in the context of other electricalconnectors associated with a semiconductor assembly. The presenttechnology may accordingly be practiced without several of the detailsof the embodiments described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-10. Forease of reference, identical reference numbers are used to identifysimilar or analogous components or features throughout this disclosure,but the use of the same reference number does not imply that thefeatures should be construed to be identical. Indeed, in many examplesdescribed herein, identically numbered features have a plurality ofembodiments that are distinct in structure and/or function from eachother. Furthermore, the same shading may be used to indicate materialsin cross section that can be compositionally similar, but the use of thesame shading does not imply that the materials should be construed to beidentical unless specifically noted herein.

Several embodiments of the present technology have weakened mechanicalor dummy support pillars configured to mechanically break or failwithout damaging adjacent substrates or other structures. Morespecifically, pillars connected to passivation materials aremechanically weakened to reduce damage to the passivation materials(e.g., reduce or eliminate damage to structures underlying thepassivation materials) upon mechanical failure of the pillars. Morespecifically, shear forces or other forces during manufacture,packaging, shipment, and/or other processes often damage importantstructures. Live pillars having active electrical structure areconfigured to withstand greater shearing forces than the weakenedmechanical pillars such that the mechanical pillars protect the livepillars. Moreover, the mechanical pillars are configured to fail withoutdamaging adjacent structures, and, even after failure (e.g.,delamination), the weakened mechanical pillars can be configured toprovide an underfill capillary action, thermal transport, and/orcompressive stress loading.

FIG. 1 illustrates a semiconductor device 10 at a stage of themanufacturing process. The device 10 includes a substrate 12, and thesubstrate 12 can include integrated circuitry 14 and/or other electricalcomponents. The substrate 12 can be generally planar. As illustrated,the substrate 12 can include a first surface 16 and a second surface 18opposite the first surface 16. The device 10 at this stage has one ormore regions, layers and/or segments of passivation material 20 on thesecond surface 18 of the substrate 12 and a seed layer 22. Thepassivation materials 20 can be, for example, oxide layers, dielectricmaterials, and/or other materials configured to electrically and/ormechanically isolate portions of the substrate 12 from the surroundingenvironment.

As illustrated, the seed layer 22 can be on the passivation material 20and second surface 18 of the substrate 12. The seed layer 22 can includefirst areas 24 associated with the location of the passivation material20 and second areas 26 wherein no passivation material is present. Inseveral embodiments, the seed layer 22 includes a barrier material and aseed material on the barrier material. The barrier material can betantalum, tantalum nitride, titanium, titanium-tungsten or anothermaterial that inhibits or prevents diffusion of the pillar materialsinto the passivation material 20 and the substrate 12. The seed materialcan be copper, a copper alloy, nickel, or other suitable materials forplating a conductive material onto the seed material usingelectro-plating or electroless-plating techniques known in the art.

FIG. 2 shows the device 10 after a mask structure 30 has been formed onthe seed layer 22. The mask structure 30 can include one or moreapertures or through holes 34 aligned with the first and second areas24, 26 of the seed layer 22. The through holes 34 aligned with the firstareas 24 of the seed layer 22 are for forming mechanical/dummy pillars.Whereas the through holes 34 positioned over the second areas 26 of theseed layer 22 are for forming live pillars that are in direct contactwith electrical components of the substrate 12. Mechanical/dummypillars, when formed, are not in electrical contact with the substrate12. Instead, the mechanical/dummy pillars contact the passivationmaterial 20. The through holes 34 can all have the same width. In someembodiments, the through holes 34 aligned with the first areas 24 have afirst width W1, and the through holes 34 aligned with the second areashave a second width W2 greater than the first width W1.

The live and mechanical (e.g., dummy) pillars can be formed by plating afirst material 36 onto the seed layer 22 within the through holes 34. Insome embodiments, the first material 36 is deposited onto the seed layer22 using vapor deposition processes or other deposition techniques. Insome embodiments, the first material 36 is deposited onto the seed layer22 using electrochemical deposition. The first material 36 can comprisenickel or other suitable materials for adhering to the seed layer 22. Insome embodiments, a layer of copper is plated onto the seed layer 22 andthe first layer 36 is plated onto the layer of copper.

FIG. 3 shows the device 10 after a second material 38 has been depositedonto the first material 36 within the through holes 34 of the maskstructure 30. In some embodiments, the second material 38 is depositeddirectly onto the seed layer 22 instead of using the first material 36.The second material 38 can comprise tin-silver or other suitablematerials. Combined, the seed layer 22, first material 36, and secondmaterial 38 can define pillars. Before etching the seed layer 22, eachof the pillars can be electrically connected to each other via thecontinuous seed layer 22.

FIG. 4 shows the live pillars 42 and the mechanical pillars 44 of thesemiconductor device 10 after the mask structure 30 has been removed.Without the mask structure 30, the seed layer 22, and particularly thefirst and second areas 24, 26 of the seed layer 22, is exposed. Removingthe mask structure 30 also reveals the first and second materials 36, 38of the pillars 42, 44. The exposed portion of the seed layer 22 extendsin the horizontal direction (e.g., in a plane parallel to the seed layer22) between the stacks of the first and second materials 36, 38.

FIGS. 5-6 show the device 10 after the exposed portion of the seed layer22 has been removed from the semiconductor device 10 to form baseportions 50 of the pillars 42 and 44. For example, the exposed portionof the seed layer 22 can be removed using a wet etch suitable forremoving the materials of the seed layer 22. Other removing/etchingmethods or devices may be used to remove the exposed portion of the seedlayer 22.

In some embodiments, when forming the base portions 50, removal of theexposed portion of the seed layer 22 undercuts the seed layer 22 beneaththe first material 36 (e.g., the seed layer material between the firstmaterial 36 and the substrate 12) in some or all of the pillars 42, 44.Undercutting the seed layer 22 under the mechanical pillars 44 narrowthe base portions 50 and thereby weakens the connection between themechanical pillars 44 and the passivation material 20.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, some or all of the pillars 42, 44 can beconfigured to connect to through-silicon vias 52, conductive pillars 54,or other portions of dies 56 positioned adjacent the substrate device10. While the illustrated embodiment includes a die 56 positioned abovethe substrate device 10, the orientation of the substrate device 10 maybe reversed such that the pillars 42, 44 extend downward and theadjacent die 56, package, or second substrate device 10 can bepositioned below the substrate device 10.

FIG. 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a single mechanical pillarin accordance with the present technology, and FIG. 8 is a detailedcross-sectional view of a conventional pillar. These figures show theweakening the connection between the mechanical pillars 44 and thepassivation material 20 (e.g., by undercutting the seed layer 22) canreduce the damage to the passivation material 20 in the event ofmechanical failure of the mechanical pillars 44. For example, referringto FIG. 7, failure of a weakened mechanical pillar 44 is limited to asmall break 47 or other disruption of the passivation material 20. Insome embodiments, the undercutting of the mechanical pillar 44 reducesor eliminates the risk that the break 47 extends through the passivationmaterial 20 to the underlying substrate 12. Limiting breaks to thepassivation material 20 can reduce or eliminate the risk of damage tothe underlying active circuitry 14 and other components of the substrate12. On the other hand, referring to FIG. 8, in the absence ofundercutting failure of the mechanical pillars 44 can result in a break49 that extends into the substrate 12. Such breaks 49 can result indamage to active components of the substrate 12 and may lead to failureof the entire semiconductor device.

In some embodiments, the mechanical pillars 44 are specifically designedto fail before the live pillars 42. For example, given equalcross-sections of the seed portions 50 of each pillar, the live pillars42 preferably have a stronger attachment to the substrate 12 than theattachment between the mechanical pillars 44 and the passivationmaterial 20. In some embodiments, a cross-sectional area of the baseportions 50 of the mechanical pillars 44 is less than ¾, less than ⅗,less than ½, less than ⅓, less than ¼, and/or less than ⅕ of thecross-sectional area of the first material 36 of the mechanical pillars44, as measured parallel to the second surface 18 of the substrate 12.In some embodiments, the mechanical pillars 44 can be weakened to apoint where failure of the mechanical pillars 44 is likely or inevitableduring manufacturing and/or handling of the semiconductor device 10. Asused herein, “failure” of a mechanical pillar 44 refers to delaminationor separation of the mechanical pillar 44 from the passivation material20, as illustrated in FIG. 7, and/or as breakage of the base portions 50of the mechanical pillars 44. After failure, a mechanical pillar 44 canbe configured to perform support functions for the semiconductor device10. For example, even after failure the mechanical pillars 44 (e.g.,even after failure) can be configured to provide an underfill capillaryaction, thermal transport, and/or compressive stress loading for thesemiconductor device 10.

The mechanical pillars 44 can also be narrower than the live pillars 42such that the mechanical pillars 44 fail before the live pillars 42. Forexample, referring to FIG. 2, the mechanical pillars 44 can be formed inthrough hole 34 having a first width W1, whereas live pillars 42 can beformed in through holes 34 having a second width W2 greater than thefirst width W1. Such narrower mechanical pillars 44 are expected to failbefore wider live pillars 42.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment wherein the mechanical pillars 44 areundercut, while the live pillars 42 are left without undercut or lessundercut than the mechanical pillars 44. Such selective undercutting canbe achieved, for example, through use of localized mask structures,selective protective coating positioned around the live pillars 42,and/or other structures or methods configured to limit or preventundercutting of the live pillars 42. Undercutting the mechanical pillars44 while avoiding or limiting undercuts to the live pillars 42 canincrease the respective difference in mechanical strength between themechanical pillars 44 and the live pillars 42 as compared with theembodiments of FIGS. 5-6.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method 200 for formingpillars on a semiconductor device in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present technology. The method can include forming a mask on theseed layer (block 204) and plating a first material onto the exposedareas of the seed layer (block 206). The mask, for example, has openingsthat expose areas of the seed structure. The method 200 further includesdepositing a second material into the openings over the first materialthereby forming a pillar (block 208). The second material may bedifferent than the first material. The method 200 further includesremoving at least a portion of the mask and thereby exposing portions ofthe seed layer between the pillars (block 210). The method 200 continuesby removing the exposed portions of the seed layer between the pillarsby, for example, wet etching the seed structure and thereby formingpillars on the semiconductor device (block 212). The method can includeundercutting the seed layer portion of one or more of the pillars formedin previous steps of the method 200 (block 214).

Any one of the semiconductor devices having the features described above(e.g., with reference to FIGS. 1-7 and 9) can be incorporated into anyof a myriad of larger and/or more complex systems, a representativeexample of which is system 1000 shown schematically in FIG. 11. Thesystem 1000 can include a processor 1002, a memory 1004 (e.g., SRAM,DRAM, flash, and/or other memory devices), input/output devices 1005,and/or other subsystems or components 1008. The semiconductor dies andsemiconductor die assemblies described above can be included in any ofthe elements shown in FIG. 11. The resulting system 1000 can beconfigured to perform any of a wide variety of suitable computing,processing, storage, sensing, imaging, and/or other functions.Accordingly, representative examples of the system 1000 include, withoutlimitation, computers and/or other data processors, such as desktopcomputers, laptop computers, Internet appliances, hand-held devices(e.g., palm-top computers, wearable computers, cellular or mobilephones, personal digital assistants, music players, etc.), tablets,multi-processor systems, processor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, network computers, and minicomputers. Additionalrepresentative examples of the system 1000 include lights, cameras,vehicles, etc. With regard to these and other examples, the system 1000can be housed in a single unit or distributed over multipleinterconnected units, e.g., through a communication network. Thecomponents of the system 1000 can accordingly include local and/orremote memory storage devices and any of a wide variety of suitablecomputer-readable media.

The above detailed descriptions of embodiments of the technology are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise formdisclosed above. Although specific embodiments of, and examples for, thetechnology are described above for illustrative purposes, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thetechnology, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Forexample, while steps are presented in a given order, alternativeembodiments may perform steps in a different order. Moreover, thevarious embodiments described herein may also be combined to providefurther embodiments. Reference herein to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar formulations means that a particular feature,structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the presenttechnology. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or formulations hereinare not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Certain aspects of the present technology may take the form ofcomputer-executable instructions, including routines executed by acontroller or other data processor. In some embodiments, a controller orother data processor is specifically programmed, configured, and/orconstructed to perform one or more of these computer-executableinstructions. Furthermore, some aspects of the present technology maytake the form of data (e.g., non-transitory data) stored or distributedon computer-readable media, including magnetic or optically readableand/or removable computer discs as well as media distributedelectronically over networks. Accordingly, data structures andtransmissions of data particular to aspects of the present technologyare encompassed within the scope of the present technology. The presenttechnology also encompasses methods of both programmingcomputer-readable media to perform particular steps and executing thesteps.

Moreover, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only asingle item exclusive from the other items in reference to a list of twoor more items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpretedas including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items inthe list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. Where thecontext permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural orsingular term, respectively. Additionally, the term “comprising” is usedthroughout to mean including at least the recited feature(s) such thatany greater number of the same feature and/or additional types of otherfeatures are not precluded. Directional terms, such as “upper,” “lower,”“front,” “back,” “vertical,” and “horizontal,” may be used herein toexpress and clarify the relationship between various elements. It shouldbe understood that such terms do not denote absolute orientation.Further, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of thetechnology have been described in the context of those embodiments,other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not allembodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within thescope of the technology. Accordingly, the disclosure and associatedtechnology can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown ordescribed herein.

We claim:
 1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, thesemiconductor device having a conductive substrate having a firstsurface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a passivationmaterial covering a portion of the first surface, the method comprising:applying a seed layer of conductive material to the first surface of theconductive substrate and to the passivation material, the seed layerhaving a first face opposite the conductive substrate; forming aplurality of pillars, wherein one or more of the pillars are positionedentirely over a portion of the passivation material, wherein forming theplurality of pillars comprises: depositing a first material onto aportion of the seed layer, and depositing a second material onto thefirst material; and etching the seed layer to remove the conductivematerial from the passivation material between the plurality of pillarsand to undercut the seed layer between the conductive substrate and thefirst material of at least one of the pillars; wherein a cross-sectionalarea of the seed layer of the one or more pillars positioned entirelyover a portion of the passivation material, as measured parallel to thefirst surface of the conductive substrate, is less than thecross-sectional area of the first material as measured parallel to thefirst surface of the conductive substrate.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising forming a mask structure on the seed layer, the maskstructure having a plurality of through holes, wherein the plurality ofpillars are formed in the plurality of through holes of the maskstructure.
 3. The method of claim 2, comprising removing the maskstructure from the seed layer prior to etching the seed layer.
 4. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the plurality of through holes comprise afirst through hole having a first width as measured parallel to thefirst surface of the conductive substrate and a second through holehaving a second width greater than the first width.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the first through hole is positioned over a portion ofthe passivation material and the second through hole is positioned overa portion of the conductive substrate not covered by the passivationmaterial.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area ofthe seed layer in contact with the passivation material between thefirst material and the conductive substrate, as measured parallel to thefirst surface of the conductive substrate, is less than or equal to ½ ofthe cross-sectional area of the second material as measured parallel tothe first surface of the conductive substrate.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the cross-sectional area of the seed layer in contact with thepassivation material between the first material and the conductivesubstrate, as measured parallel to the first surface of the conductivesubstrate, is less than or equal to ¼ of the cross-sectional area of thesecond material as measured parallel to the first surface of theconductive substrate.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the seed layercomprises copper.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first materialcomprises nickel.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second materialcomprises tin-silver.
 11. A method of manufacturing a semiconductordevice, the semiconductor device having a conductive substrate having afirst surface partially covered by a passivation material and a secondsurface opposite the first surface, the method comprising: covering atleast a portion of the first surface and the passivation material with alayer of conductive material, the layer of conductive material having afirst side opposite the conductive substrate; depositing a firstmaterial onto the layer of conductive material thereby forming bases fora first pillar and a second pillar; depositing a second material ontothe first material; removing the layer of conductive material fromportions of the passivation material and the first surface of theconductive substrate outside of the first and second pillars; andundercutting the layer of conductive material between the layer of firstmaterial of the first pillar and the conductive substrate; wherein thefirst pillar is positioned over a portion of the conductive substratecompletely covered by the passivation material.
 12. The method of claim11, further comprising undercutting the layer of conductive materialbetween the layer of first material of the second pillar and theconductive substrate, wherein the second pillar is positioned over aportion of the conductive substrate not covered by the passivationmaterial.
 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a maskstructure on the layer of conductive material, wherein the firstmaterial is deposited onto the layer of conductive material withinthrough holes of the mask structure.
 14. The method of claim 11, whereinthe first material is nickel.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein thesecond material comprises tin-silver.
 16. The method of claim 11,wherein first pillar has a first width and the second pillar has asecond width greater than the first width, wherein the second pillar ispositioned over a portion of the conductive substrate not covered by thepassivation material.
 17. A method of manufacturing a semiconductordevice, the method comprising: forming a mask on a seed structure,wherein the mask has a first set of openings that expose areas of theseed structure that are electrically coupled to live circuitry on a sideof the seed structure opposite the mask, and wherein the mask has asecond set of openings that expose areas of the seed structure that areentirely in direct contact with a passivation material positionedbetween the seed structure and the live circuitry; plating a firstmaterial onto the exposed areas of the seed structure; depositing asecond material into the openings over the first material, therebyforming a first set of pillars within the first set of opening and asecond set of pillar within the second set of openings, wherein thesecond material is different from the first material; removing at leasta portion of the mask to expose portions of the seed structure betweenthe pillars; removing the exposed portions of the seed structure betweenthe pillars; and undercutting the seed structure on a side of the firstmaterial of the second set of pillars opposite the second material ofthe second set of pillars.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the firstmaterial comprises nickel and the second material comprises tin-silver.19. The method of claim 17, further comprising connecting the secondmaterial to a conductive pillar of a through-substrate via of asemiconductor die.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprisingundercutting the seed structure on a side of the first material of thefirst set of pillars opposite the second material of the first set ofpillars.
 21. The method of claim 17 wherein the seed structure on theside of the first material of the second set of pillars opposite thesecond material of the second set of pillars has a cross-sectional arealess than ⅓ of a cross-sectional area of the first material of thesecond set of pillars.
 22. The method of claim 17, wherein the first setof openings include a first opening having a first width and the secondset of openings include a second opening having a second width less thanthe first width.